Lost Souls
by kittyb90
Summary: UPDATED, finally! Chapter 4 is now up. Can two lost souls filled with pain find each other and become whole again?
1. Reunion

**Lost Souls**

Author: kittyb90

Summary: Can two lost souls filled with pain find each other and become whole again?

Reunion

            She walked slowly down the street, her head down, unwilling to meet the eyes of passing strangers, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. It was cold, and she wondered if maybe she should've taken that jacket they offered her. It had been an old, disgusting piece of junk, nothing like the smooth leather she preferred so she'd just sneered in disgust and walked away without a word. Wouldn't have been much in the way of fashion, but at least she wouldn't be shivering so hard her teeth rattled. Oh well, too late now, and besides she deserved the cold, didn't she? Why should she be warm after all the things she'd done? She smiled slightly. Seemed Angel had taught her something after all. Well, if you're gonna do the whole guilt parade, might as well learn from the best, right?

What a fucking joke! All she'd learned from Angel was that people really didn't stick around. He was all caught up in his shiny new life now. Way too busy to come see the chick who'd gotten herself a nice little jail sentence. Redemption. What the hell had she been thinking? That he'd come for regular visits and they'd have "deep meaningful" conversations and then maybe he'd love her just a little bit too, the way he'd always loved Buffy? Yeah, right. 'Cause she looked so stunning in her prison grays and ratty hair, he wouldn't be able to resist, right? Bastard.

Honestly though, what _had she expected? She'd already learned over and over again that she didn't deserve love. Why should Angel be any different? Why should he be the one guy that stuck around? Maybe she was being too harsh. He did have a lot going on; maybe he'd really meant to keep in touch. Then again, maybe he just hadn't felt the need to bother. She wasn't too eager to find out which one was true. Better not to know._

As she reached her destination, she slowly stopped walking. Well, here it was. The place she'd been walking around trying to avoid for hours. She wondered what he'd think when he saw her. Probably slam the door in her face. Oh fucking well. She had to at least try. Even if Angel had given up on her and she was alone in the world again, she still felt this annoying need to make amends.

Had she even apologized to him before? She didn't remember. That night had been kind of a blur; running for her life, dealing with B's scorn, and then the whole 'doing the right thing' routine with the cops. She was pretty sure he'd probably saved her ass. He could've let the Watcher thugs take her, helped them out even, it was no more than she'd deserved. But he hadn't. He'd warned that they were coming, and she'd gotten away. She was pretty damn sure he hadn't done it for her; the thought was so fucking ridiculous it hurt to think about it. But even if it wasn't for her he had done it, and she'd never thanked him or said she was sorry. She owed it to him to at least give it a shot, then she'd get the hell out of his life and get on with trying to figure out her own.

As she watched, the door opened and a woman walked out. She looked like she'd been roughed up, but she had a big grin on her face as she draped herself all over a half naked Wesley. If Faith had been someone less experienced with the morning after a good fuck she might have been shocked and embarrassed at the length and depth of the couples goodbye kiss. Well, not so much a kiss as a goodbye grope and fondle. As it was she was mostly just surprised to see that Wesley was even into that sort of thing. She was even more surprised when she saw the woman's face. It was Lily or Lilah or whatever from that law firm that had tried to kill Angel. A smile spread over her face as she realized this was definitely not the Wesley she had known. He even looked different. All rough and unshaven, pants barely thrown on. This was just fucking amazing. After Lilah left, Faith moved swiftly and rapped on the door.

"Back so soon?" Wesley asked with a smile. A smile that quickly disappeared as Faith stepped into the apartment.

"Well, well, well; what have we here? Sleeping with the enemy, Wes? Never knew you had it in ya. And the new look? I gotta say, I am just full of approval on that one. Turning into quite the stud there." He slammed the door as she moved further into the room as if she owned the place.

"Ah, Faith. Finally busted out, I see. Didn't think it'd take you quite this long. You must be losing your touch."

"Such sarcasm! Looks really good on you so I hate to disappoint, but I got out all legal and aboveboard. Guess they could just see how much I've changed." She heard his disbelieving snort and smiled as she turned to face him again. "Didn't you get the memo? I'm a good little girl now." She moved towards him. "I see things have changed around here though. While I was being all good and proper you went and turned all naughty on me. What gives?"

"As you've so astutely pointed out, things have changed. So if you've come looking for a punching bag to beat on, I'm afraid you'll find it won't be quite so easy this time." Her face fell and the smile disappeared as she took in what he'd said. "What? No quick retort, no snappy comeback? My, my, Faith; you really have lost your touch."

"Wes-"

"Or maybe since I'm such a bad boy now, you thought you'd take me for a little test drive."

"I didn't-"

"Oh, that's right. You're a good girl now. Well, as you can see, I don't do good girls anymore." He gave her a disgusted look and headed into the other room. "You know where the door is; I'm sure you can find your way out." He was almost gone when she finally spoke up, her voice soft and tremulous,

"I came to say I'm sorry." He stopped walking but didn't turn around. "I know it doesn't really make a difference to what I did to you, and I've managed to really fuck it up so far, but I don't think I ever said it before. So… I'm sorry." He didn't say anything, just stood there all immovable. "Anyway, I'll get out so you can get back to… whatever it is you do now." Moving quickly, she yanked the door open, nearly ripping it off the hinges.

"Faith?" She refused to look at him. Fuck, she could do stony silence with the best of 'em. "Do you have somewhere to go?"

"You know me; I always land on my feet." God, she had to get out of here before she started crying or did something else equally girly. "I'll manage; it's one of the few things I'm good at." He didn't say anything, and she shifted uncomfortably. "We through here?"

"Thank you," he said softly. "For the apology, I mean." She glanced back over her shoulder, meeting his eyes briefly before looking away.

"Yeah. Whatever. Look, I gotta go; it's been… special." She slammed the door behind her and took a deep shaky breath. Why had she even bothered? It's not like he gave a shit. What? She thought she could just go in, say sorry, and suddenly his life was changed all thanks to her? Sure. Like she ever made a difference in anyone's life. God, she couldn't even get an apology right. All sex and swagger; that was her. Busting in all big bad bitch and fucking everything up left and right. Dammit. Well, time to get the hell outta town. The sooner she left L.A., the better. This town was just sucking the life right out of her.

****

            She'd come to apologize, and he'd been such a bastard. She'd glanced back at him when he'd said thank you and she'd looked so… lost. He understood the feeling, perhaps better than she'd ever know. After all, that's why he was the way he was now. Being cold and bitter sure as hell beat the vulnerability and the searing pain that he lived with every day. Acting like a coldhearted bastard for long enough almost fooled him into thinking that's who he really was, made the pain somehow less. Being with Lilah made him forget for awhile too. After all, if a cold bitch like her wanted him then maybe he was capable of being this new man he longed to be.

            He was fooling himself, he knew. All it had taken was one sad doe-eyed look from her, and he'd felt like the lowest sort of scum. And then the pain came rushing back, making him feel again, making him wish things were different, that everything could be like before. But it never could. Things had changed; he had changed – maybe not as much as he'd like, but enough – and he couldn't go back. Ever. Even if they asked, which, of course, they hadn't. They came to him when they needed help, but they didn't want him as a friend again. That much was obvious.

            Maybe he should go after her, make sure she was going to be okay. He shook his head. Now _that was a laugh. What the hell did he know about helping anyone anymore? She'd be better off without him tagging along after her trying to __fix her, trying to make things better. He'd probably just been an item on a list to her anyway. Get out of jail, learn how to be bitchy again, apologize to Wesley for the unfortunate torture, find a place to stay – yeah, she was a big girl. She didn't need him looking out for her. Still… maybe he'd just check around, make sure she was able to check off that last item on the list. No harm in making a few calls, right?_

****

            She was all the way inside the train station, waiting in the damn line when it struck her. How the hell was she supposed to pay for a fucking ticket? Yeah, she'd really thought this plan through. Walk two hours, wait another twenty minutes in line, and _then remember you have no money. She was a fucking brain trust that was for sure. If these were the bad old days she could saunter into the ladies room, knock some poor bitch unconscious, and just like magic – traveling money. No hassle, no worry, just a little violence and problem solved. Yeah, those were the days, alright. Being a white hat sure was a pain in the ass._

She supposed she could fuck her way into some money, but that plan held even less appeal than the violent one. She had nothing against sex with a stranger. God, half the guys along the eastern seaboard knew that for a fact, but she'd always done it for fun. Doing it for money just seemed so… movie of the week. Desperate girl, down on her luck turns to prostitution to avoid a life on the streets. Yeah, whatever. She was no man's whore, and she didn't ever plan on that changing. Sex for her was definitely about power, but _her power, not some random dick in a train station. Time to find a place to stay then. That would've been easier for the old her too, now she guessed she'd have to hit a women's shelter. Yep, this being good thing definitely sucked major ass._

****

            "What do you mean you didn't know she was out of jail?"

            "Just what I said, Wesley. I didn't know; she didn't let me know. I haven't heard from her since before…" Angel paused a moment, "everything."

            "You mean, all this time, and you haven't gone to see her?"

            "Well, I kind of had a lot going on what with being at the bottom of the ocean."

            "She didn't even have a jacket," Wesley muttered, staring blankly at the floor.

            "What?"

            "Nothing. Look, if you hear from her would you give me a call. I shouldn't have let her leave without being sure…"

            "Listen to you! Those old Watcher instincts rising to the surface again?" Wesley shook his head slightly.

            "Just call if you hear anything alright?" Angel was silent, and he realized how harsh he'd sounded. Oh, who cares? He could be harsh if he felt like it. He really had very little patience for talking to Angel right now.

            "Yeah, sure. I'll let you know."

            "Thanks." He heard Angel start to say something else, but hung up without letting him finish. Insensitive bastard. Didn't even realize that he'd severed Faith's only lifeline out of the darkness she'd been fighting for so long. But then Angel's focus had shifted to something a little closer to home, hadn't it? Best not to think about that. That way lay pain and guilt, and he'd had enough of that to last him a lifetime.

            He grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Faith really must be feeling alone if the only person she'd come to see was him. And of course he hadn't been very welcoming, although to be fair she hadn't exactly acted like she'd changed much. Just seemed like the same old Faith until that broken little apology. Had to have been hard for her and pretty brave in the face of his scorn. He knew before he'd even made up his mind about what to do that he was getting too involved. Involvement meant pain, and he really wasn't up for taking care of someone else's damaged soul when his own was torn to shreds. He sighed; he couldn't very well leave her on the street though, could he? No telling what might happen.

****

            In the end she decided against a shelter. Those places were too depressing, all those weepy women running from their abusive men. Made her angry, angry at the women for having put up with that shit for so long, and angry at the men for thinking a dick gave them license to do as they pleased. Brought back too many bad memories, memories better left behind. So she wandered the streets. Yeah, this was _so much better, what with the hookers and the homeless and the druggies all competing for the award of biggest fuck up. She laughed out loud and a couple street people gave her wary glances. That's right, folks, this bitch is crazy. Stay back so she doesn't hurt you! She's liable to lose it any second now. She'd probably win that fuck up award hands down._

            She wondered what Wesley was doing right now then shook her head in disgust. She didn't know why she couldn't get him off her mind. It was annoying, especially since he'd probably gone right back to his comfy life of evil lawyer fucking and friends who actually gave a shit about him. Although she wondered what those friends thought about his new bed buddy. Maybe they didn't know. Or maybe he wasn't friends with them anymore. Kinda wished she'd gotten that story out of him before storming out. But then she doubted he'd have been sharing confidences with her even if she'd stuck around. And why the fuck did she even care? Time to think about something else.

            Like this guy that had been following her the past six blocks. She smiled slightly, a bit of her old self returning. If this guy thought he'd found an easy mark, boy was he in for a surprise. Maybe kicking this prick's ass would help jolt her out of her annoying thoughts. She ducked down a dark alley and her smile grew wider when he followed. Yeah, this was gonna be fun. She stopped suddenly, turning around and giving her best scared helpless girl look.

            "Who- who's there?" she asked. Wow, that little tremor really made things seem authentic. Seemed she'd picked up a little acting skill, maybe she could make the big time. This was L.A. after all. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, but the alley was pretty dark so she figured it probably didn't matter. The guy moved closer and she could tell he was pretty big. Better and better, it was even more humiliating for the big ones when they got their asses handed to 'em by a little girl.

            "Don't you know it's dangerous to roam around dark alleys at night?"

            "Wow, that's what I was gonna say. You must be psychic or something." She smiled and he took another step closer. That's when she saw the gun. Fuck, maybe this hadn't been such a brilliant idea after all. She could probably still take him, but a gun was a lot more dangerous than some jacked up hard body looking for a good time, and she was a little out of practice at dodging bullets. How did she always get into these situations? Too cocky, never thinking things through, going for the fun instead of worrying about her own ass - that about covered it, she figured. Well, too late for thinking things through now. She'd already fucked it up; now all she had to do was get out alive.

            She stepped forward, preparing for battle when the jerk suddenly grunted in pain. She watched, puzzled as he crumpled to the ground, the gun skittering out of his hand and across the pavement. Her eyes widened in surprise when she looked and saw Wesley gripping a crowbar.

            "Knew I'd find you wherever trouble was brewing."

**TBC**


	2. Getting Even

**Lost Souls**

Author: kittyb90

A/N: Thanks for the reviews; you guys are the best. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Getting Even

            It was almost like something out of a movie. He was all backlit and menacing in his black leather jacket, all rugged and hero-like. She had to hand it to him; it was a hell of an entrance. Way to go, Wes. And when did he start wearing leather? Hot. Not like she needed rescuing or anything. She could've taken that guy no problem, might have taken a little extra effort, but… Oh, who the hell was she kidding? Dealing with some asshole with a gun in the middle of a narrow little alley wouldn't exactly have been a piece of cake. So, yeah. Maybe she had needed him, but there was no fucking way she was gonna let him in on _that little piece of info._

            "Way to ruin my fun, Wes. I was all ready to beat that guy bloody." She crossed her arms defiantly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. See? She could look tough too; it was like, her calling. Well, that and the whole Slayer gig, but she figured they kind of went hand in hand. Wes suddenly smiled, catching her off guard. What the fuck was so funny?

            "If you want I could wake him up, let you have another shot at him." Was he… joking around with her? Or maybe he was mocking her. Hell, she'd never been able to tell the difference. She brushed past him, deciding to go for casually dismissive.

            "Don't bother; I like my fights to be a little more challenging. I mean, how tough could he be if you took him out?" She thought she heard him laugh. Okay, maybe he had been joking. Whatever. Not like she gave a damn. "How did you find me? Or is this like, your usual hangout? Dark alley to go with the whole bad boy thing you got going on."

            "I was looking for you. Checked a couple shelters before I saw you roaming the streets. How come you didn't call Angel when you got out?" She stopped abruptly and Wesley bumped right into her. Jeez, he'd already saved the day; why wouldn't he just go already?

            "Look, I don't have to explain anything to you. And I don't need you following me around "protecting" me, either. Why don't you just go home to your perfect life and you little fuck buddy and mind your own damn business?"

            "I'm sorry he hasn't been to see you." Great. That was all she needed. Fucking _Wesley, of all people, pitying her._

            "Whatever. I didn't figure he'd be coming by every week. It's not like it's a big fucking deal; he didn't owe me jack. And I didn't call him or go see him because I didn't feel like it." She turned away and started walking again. "I'm not even sure why I came to see you."

            "So I'm guessing you don't have a place to stay since you're out on the street in the middle of the night."

            "I'm fine. I was just looking for a little action. Been awhile since I killed something, startin' to get a little twitchy." And if he didn't leave soon she was gonna have to kick his ass. She couldn't deal with him being all… nice. It was weird. He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. Oh wonderful, he had that fucking 'let me help you' look on his face. _This she couldn't take, not if he was about to do something ridiculous like offer her a place to stay._

            "At least let me give you some money for a hotel room." Okay, not what she expected but close enough. She yanked her arm out of his hand.

            "I'm not your fucking charity case, dammit! And if you grab me like that again, don't think I won't bust your ass." He smiled at her. _Smiled. Like she was some kind of child throwing a fucking tantrum. Asshole._

            "I thought you might feel that way. It was worth a try though. Would you at least take my coat?" He reached out to stroke his hand down her arm, and she shivered. What the fuck? "You're positively icy." She stared at him for a moment. What the hell was this? He actually sounded concerned. About her. Wow. And the weirdness just keeps on coming. She eyed his coat for a second. She _was cold, and that coat looked real nice and warm. She'd probably look incredible in it too. Better than him anyway. If she took the coat would he think she was giving in? Would he see that as a weakness? She hesitated._

            "Won't you be cold?" Oh, what the fuck was that? Now she was worrying about _him? Yeah, way to prove she didn't give a damn. What a dumbfuck._

            "My car's right down the street; I'll be fine."

            "Well, I guess that would be okay. It'd save me the trouble of kicking your ass and taking it." Yeah, nice recovery. Like the threat meant shit after her idiotic moment of concern. He took it off, handed it to her, and she took it reluctantly. This still seemed all wrong. Why had even come looking for her? Why was he acting like he gave a damn? "This doesn't mean I owe you anything, you know. I mean, don't be expecting any favors or anything."

            "I don't expect anything from you Faith." Wow, now she _knew she needed to get away from him. That almost hurt her feelings. Shit._

            "Whatever." She pulled the coat on and walked away, hoping he wouldn't follow. When she was a little ways down the street she wrapped the jacket tightly around her. Man, this thing felt fucking great, all nice and warm. From Wesley. It was all warm from being on Wesley. She shook her head in disgust. So what? She shoved her hands in the pockets. What the hell? There was something in there, felt like paper. When she pulled it out and saw what it was she stopped walking and stared at it in shock. Money. There was maybe three hundred bucks in Wesley's coat pocket. She turned around, but he was already gone. That sneaky bastard. He'd fucking tricked her!

            She thought about going straight to his apartment and throwing it in his face. She'd _told him she didn't want his fucking charity. So what does he do? He forces it on her, the fucking jerk. Yeah, she'd throw it right in his smug British face. That'd show him. On the other hand… his apartment __was a long walk from here, and it __was getting pretty late. With this kind of cash she could get a pretty kickass room. Sleeping in a nice, cozy bed was sounding better and better every second. She could always pay him back later. If she paid him back then it wasn't charity; it was like a fucking loan or some shit. Yeah, maybe she'd just pay him back later. She'd use enough for a room tonight and then tomorrow she'd give him a piece of her mind. Let him know she didn't put up with that kind of bullshit._

            Heading for a motel with Wes's coat wrapped snugly around her and his money in her pocket, she found herself thinking about what he'd done. She guessed it was kind of nice that he'd gone to all that trouble. Sweet, even. She felt a sappy grin spread over her face and immediately stopped walking. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back in frustration. Aw, crap!

****

            Wesley couldn't help smiling as he drove home. He wished he could've seen her face when she found the money. He'd wager she was thoroughly pissed off at having allowed him to trick her. At least she'd be able to get in off the street. Well, assuming she used the money. He frowned for a moment. No, she'd use the money. It hadn't been too hard to get her to take the coat; he was sure she'd get a room, maybe give him hell about it later. He shook his head slightly; he had really sunk low when the high point of his day was pissing of Faith.

            He wondered what went on in that mind of hers. When he'd offered her his coat she'd looked at him as though she thought he might suddenly drag her back into the alley and demand some sort of payment for his help. Then, for a moment, she'd seemed concerned about him. She was such a contradiction. She used to enjoy assaulting innocent people when she needed money, but he offered it to her freely and she was insulted. He shrugged. Well, he'd done his good deed, helped her on her way, now he never had to see her again. He could go back to his cold existence and his nights with Lilah and get back to being the hardhearted bastard he longed to be.

            What the hell was that noise? He pulled the pillow off his head and listened for a moment. Someone was pounding on the door. He stumbled out of bed and pulled on some pants. If that was Lilah, he was going to tell her to go to hell. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night and he didn't really feel like dealing with her right now. He yanked the door open, ready to give her a piece of his mind.

            "Wow, half naked again. Is this how we're greeting each other now? 'Cause I am all over that idea." Faith brushed past him and wandered into the kitchen.

            "Faith? What the- How- Faith?" God, it was way too early for him to try to deal with this.

            "Not so good with the verbal skills in the morning, huh, Wes? What? You thought you were gonna trick me with that shit last night, and I was just gonna leave without paying you back?" She showed no signs of leaving so he shut the door and followed her into the other room. She was pulling things out of a bag. What was… did she bring _groceries? He watched as she started pulling pans out of the cupboard. She was still prattling on about something, but he was having a hard time focusing._

            "What the hell are you doing?" She stopped for a second and looked at him like he was a simpleton.

            "What the fuck does it look like, genius? I'm making breakfast." She went back to what she was doing. "It's not gonna be gourmet fare or anything, but I make a mean omelette, and you know, pretty much anyone can make toast and bacon, right? Well, you'd think so anyway. I knew this guy once, almost burned down the whole-"

            "_Why are you in my kitchen at," he glanced at the clock, "six in the morning making breakfast?"_

            "Well, I don't have a job so I can't pay you back what I spent on the room. That was a real cheap trick you pulled, by the way. So I figured I'd use some of the money for this stuff and make you breakfast. You should feel special, you know. I don't _ever make breakfast for guys, not even when they… well, let's just leave it at I never make breakfast for guys." She reached into her pocket. "Here's the rest of the money. I'm keeping the jacket." He just stared at her silently as she started making breakfast. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. Faith. In his kitchen. Cooking. It just made no sense._

            "Keep the money."

            "No."

            "I'm going back to bed." She looked up at him, her eyes angry, her voice hard.

            "I'm making you breakfast."

            "Keep the money."

            "I said no." He headed for his room and smiled when he heard her sigh. "Fine. I'll keep your goddamn money!" He came back into the kitchen. "But after this – that's it. We're even. No more following me around. No more "helping" me. I don't need your fucking help; I can handle myself, okay? And if I ever get a job I'm giving back every fucking penny."

            "I considered us even last night. I don't expect you to pay me back." She shrugged.

            "Yeah, well. I pay my debts now. All rehabilitated, remember?" He smiled slightly and they drifted into an almost comfortable silence while he watched her cook. There was a knock on the door, and he studied her a moment longer before moving to answer it. He found Lilah waiting with a seductive smile.

            "Hey there." Wesley glanced briefly over his shoulder.

            "Lilah, this really isn't a good time. Maybe you could come back later." She took a step towards him.

            "I thought maybe we could -"

            "Okay, breakfast's all ready," Faith said, coming up behind him. "I'm gonna get the hell outta here. Have a -" She stopped talking suddenly when she saw Lilah, and Wesley caught her arm. 

            "You're not going to eat?" She glanced at him, a funny look in her eyes as she smiled, and he could pinpoint the precise moment when she decided to cause trouble.

            "No, I just wanted to do something nice for you. You know, to pay you back." He smiled in understanding. Ah, right. So whatever she was about to do now was his payback for tricking her. Well, he could handle whatever she threw at him. She moved closer and surprised him by sliding her arms around his neck.

"What -?" He managed to say, then she was kissing him and his thoughts scattered. Before he had time to even think about pushing her away she pulled back, trailing her hand down his chest.

"Thanks for last night, stud. You were incredible." She almost knocked Lilah over as she left the apartment but she turned around and waved, giving him a wink before she took off.

****

            Okay, now _that was fun. She had to hand it to the guy, he'd known she was gonna do something – she'd seen it in his eyes – and he'd just fucking grinned at her. She'd gotten a kick out of surprising him with that kiss. He definitely hadn't expected that. She smiled. The look on Lilah's face had been the best though. Bitch. Wes was probably in deep shit right now. Her smile faded. That should've made her happy. Causing trouble. Kind of thing she used to get off on. Still did in most cases, but for some reason she felt almost… guilty. Fuck that. She had way better reasons to feel guilty than a stupid little prank. Yeah, things like the way she'd tortured him almost to death. And hey, he seemed to be getting over that one just fine. She shook her head. Besides, he could handle himself. He'd probably just act all manly and haul the bitch into bed for a little naughty time and all would be forgiven._

            They were probably going at it right now, him and his evil lawyer girlfriend. What the hell did he see in her anyway? Sure, Lilah was easy on the eyes, but she'd never pegged Wes as the type to go over to the dark side for a nice piece of ass. Then again, most guys did all their thinking with their dicks so she guessed it wasn't all that surprising. She'd kinda figured Wes was different though. Yeah, right. Guys were all a-fucking-like. She'd learned that a long time ago, didn't know why she'd let herself forget.

****

            "What the hell is going on?" Lilah asked, striding angrily into the apartment. Oh, good, now he had to deal with her jealous streak. The day was already going down in the books as truly hellish and it wasn't even seven-thirty. He sighed. This was supposed to be his day to sleep late.

            "Lilah, come right in. Have some breakfast, why don't you?" he said sarcastically, slamming the door.

            "You mean the breakfast that your "date" made for you? Apparently as a thank you for a job well done?" He just stared at her. God, she was annoying. He wished he could just go back to bed. Instead, he headed into the kitchen. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well eat.

            "That _would be the breakfast I was speaking of, yes." She followed him around as he fixed himself a plate._

            "You're not even going to explain?" He sat down at the table, popping a piece of bacon into his mouth as he pretended to give her question some thought. Then he smiled.

            "No. Annoying, isn't it?"

            "Was that Faith?"

            "Yes. She got out of prison yesterday."

            "And she ran right to you for a little… comfort?" He shrugged. "I thought you two hated each other."

            "We do." Maybe if he ignored her she'd take the hint and leave. Or maybe she'd get so upset with him that she'd just storm out. Either way it was a win-win situation; maybe he could still get some damn sleep.

            "So then… she was just trying to get you in trouble." Bugger. Now she was smiling and sitting down. Looked like she planned on hanging around for awhile. Why couldn't she just get upset like a normal woman? Well, if she was staying anyway he might as well get something out of it.

            "I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later." He smiled slightly. Pushing aside his plate, he stood and pulled her to her feet. "Did you stop by for a little comforting of your own?" Before she could answer he took her mouth in a harsh kiss, his hands pushing her onto the table. _This he knew how to deal with, just shut down the emotions and go for the rough stuff. Lilah always responded so well to the rough stuff. No worrying about hurt feelings or wondering about some sad look in her eyes. Just hot sex and a cold heart. Her hands moved to unzip his pants and he wondered what Faith would do when she'd used up the money he'd given her._

            He pulled back suddenly, halting her movements, and Lilah looked at him in confusion. He frowned. What the hell was he doing? Just forget about Faith and get on with the sex. Faith would be fine; she'd always managed before. He moved back to kiss Lilah again, his hands moving up under her skirt. Yes, she had managed before, but that was when she was a criminal and stole to make ends meet. If she was really reformed she wouldn't have that to fall back on. Or she might start again if she got truly desperate. Why did he even care? It wasn't as if she were his responsibility.

            "What are you doing?" He pulled his attention back to Lilah.

            "What?"

            "We were getting to the good stuff, and you just stopped and started staring off into space." Damn.

            "I did?"

            "Yes, you did," she said, pushing him away as she slid off the table, her expression angry.

            "I'm sorry. I'm a little tired." She shook her head.

            "I've seen you tired. Hell, I've seen you after you've been out fighting vampires and demons all night, and you've come home looking like they won. You've never been _that tired." She straightened her skirt and grabbed her purse as she headed for the door. "You've obviously got something else on your mind, or should I say some__one? Give me a call when you're a little more… __up to being with me." She stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. He stood there for a moment after she left then glanced at the clock; still plenty of time before he needed to get up. Maybe he could salvage the rest of the day and get a little sleep._

********

**            She was already dialing the number as she climbed into the car. When the woman on the other end answered, Lilah cut her off before she even finished saying hello.**

            "Assemble the team. Our favorite Slayer has been released from prison." She started the car. "Yes, I know it's sooner than we expected, but the team has been preparing for months now. It shouldn't be a problem." Lilah hung up the phone and glanced back at Wesley's apartment with a smile. She just loved it when she could combine business and pleasure. Taking care of Faith would be good for both.

**TBC**


	3. Captive

**Lost Souls**

by kittyb90

Author's Note: Sorry this took so freaking long.

Captive

            So this was what it all came down to. All that Slayer power and training and what was she doing? Bouncing drunks out of some club when they got a little rowdy. It had been fun at first; she got free drinks on her nights off, listened to some choice music while she worked. And she still found a special kind of joy in the look of shock that spread across the faces of the three hundred pound no-necks when she brought 'em to their knees without even breaking a sweat. Yeah, that was a fucking kick.

            Still… something was missing. She felt like she was just killing time here, and she wasn't sure what she was waiting for. She'd sent Wesley some cash when she got her first paycheck. She could mark that debt paid in full, but she hadn't seen him since that morning when she'd made him breakfast. One month and four days ago. Not that she was counting, she'd just become finely attuned to the passage of time since her stint behind bars.

Yeah, sure. She shook her head; she'd been thinking about Wes a lot lately. It didn't help that she kept imagining she saw him everywhere she went. Some nights she swore she saw him in the crowd at the club, but when she stormed over to confront him there was no one there. Twice now she'd spotted him at the grocery store, but it was never him, and she was starting to think she was really losing it.

She needed to get laid, was what it was. She was focusing in on Wesley because he was the only guy she'd had any meaningful (_yeah, right!_) contact with since she got out. As soon as she had herself a little ride with a real man she wouldn't be all Watcher-obsessed. Trouble was she hadn't found anyone remotely interesting to take that ride with.

She glanced across the room. One of the other bouncers stood with his arms crossed, eyeing the crowd as he watched for trouble. Now _there_ was a prime piece of beef. All big and hard and making it obvious every time she saw him that he wouldn't mind getting her off all night long. Problem was, he was as dumb as a brick and she just couldn't manage to work up the enthusiasm to fuck a brain dead idiot. She wondered when that had started to matter, didn't take a rocket scientist to get the job done.

Her gaze shifted to the left. And then there was Mike; he was one of the regulars. Good looking, reasonably intelligent; he'd seemed like a good candidate until she'd had to save his ass from a mugger a week ago. He'd cried like a little girl, practically wet his pants, and that had been that. Sissified momma's boys didn't really do it for her. Why was she having such a hard time finding someone who measured up to these standards she'd suddenly discovered she had? Never used to be this hard; maybe this whole good guy routine she had going was screwing with her more than she'd realized.

She wove her way through the crowd on the dance floor as a throbbing beat started up. Working her way to the bar, she grabbed a seat and ordered a soda. She'd have preferred something harder, but the manager had been very clear about not drinking on the job. Jackass. Wasted, she could fight better than any guy in here when they were stone cold sober. Oh, well. Two more hours and she was off the clock.

She was almost finished with her drink when she felt it. A tingle in the middle of her back that told her she was being watched. She set down her glass, focusing in on the feeling as she glanced around the club. It wasn't a vamp or a demon, but it was intense; she could feel that stare practically burning a whole through her skin. She stood slowly, turning around as she glanced up to the balcony. Who was watching her?

He watched as she made her way through the throng of writhing bodies below; she swayed slightly to the rhythm of the music as she approached the bar, and every guy she passed turned to watch her move. He'd been coming here every night since he'd first seen her here; he wasn't sure exactly why. She'd almost caught him a couple times, but he'd managed to get out of there before he'd been discovered.

He wasn't sure why he'd taken to following her. At first he'd been worried about her, hadn't wanted to be, but he was. Once he'd seen that she was doing fine on her own he'd tried to go back to his regular routine, but night after night he found himself here. Watching her. Sometimes she was working, sometimes she just sat at the bar, and some nights… some nights she danced. She moved like a wild thing, twisting her way around the dance floor, lost in her own world. Her movements were a seduction, sex incarnate, but she never shared them with anyone. Sometimes someone would attempt to invade her space and steal a moment with her, but she eventually turned her back on them and went back to her solitary dance.

He hated her. Hated that she'd somehow gotten to him without even trying. Hated that he came here to see her instead of doing his job. Hated that she'd come to his house a month ago and disrupted his life and his thoughts. And he hated that she hadn't come back since. God, he was pathetic.

He saw her tense suddenly, setting her drink down as she turned and stared right at him. He straightened from the railing in surprise; he knew there was no way she could see him up here in the darkness, but he could swear she was staring right into his eyes. She started towards the stairs and he vanished into the crowd.

Yep, she was definitely losing it. She'd searched the crowd on the balcony about a hundred times, sure that if she just looked hard enough she'd eventually see Wesley. He hadn't been there, of course. She was just seeing his face all over the place again. Dammit. What was her problem? She leaned against the bar again, counting the minutes till she could get out of this place. Half an hour. Longest damn night of her life.

She took the long way home, thinking maybe she'd get in a little action. With all the business Angel and his pals managed to pull in she'd figured L.A. must be filthy with demons, but she hadn't run into jack shit this past month. How was that possible? She'd always attracted trouble; you'd think a young girl walking alone at night in the bad part of town would at least rouse the human monsters, if nothing else.

As she rounded the corner onto her street and came even with the next alley a group of twelve, darkly dressed – What the fuck _were _they? Faith shrugged – twelve, darkly dressed… _somethings stepped out in front of her, blocking her way. She smiled. Now this was more like it. Shitty odds, too so she'd get to work for it. This was definitely her kind of night. They just stood there staring at her for a long time, and she wondered what the deal was. Widening her stance, she spread her arms with a smile._

"Are you gonna bring it, or you just gonna stare at me all night? I mean, sure I'm real nice to look at, but I'm thinking you guys? More the fighting type. Am I right?" The guy in front pulled off his ski mask. Human, she noticed before registering the noise coming from behind her. Throwing a look over her shoulder, she noticed about twenty more of the ninja guys moving in behind her. Her smile slipped slightly. Wow, really bad odds. "Aw, look. You brought friends." She turned towards the second group slightly, and snapped her leg out to the side to kick the human guy hard in the gut, knocking him backwards into his buddies. For a moment everyone was still and then all hell broke loose.

She almost panicked for a moment as they rushed her from all sides, but then she sprang into action. She grabbed the first two and slammed their heads together, watching as they dropped like stones. She smiled; maybe they were all human, make this much easier if they were. Two of them grabbed her from behind – _nope, definitely too strong to be human – and the first guy managed to land a couple punches. Planting a foot against his stomach, she swung her other leg up, kicking him hard in the face, and he was down for the count._

Feet back on the ground she pulled her arms free, slinging one of the bastards to the pavement before spinning quickly to wail on the other one. More came at her, and suddenly she was lost in the fight. Punching and kicking, dodging and feinting, her blood pumping like crazy. God, she had missed this. She spun around, preparing to fight off another attack, and saw Wes step into the alley. She paused for a moment, confused. What the hell was he doing here? She had to hand it to the guy; he didn't even flinch at the odds, instead moving quickly towards her, rushing to the rescue _again_.

She smiled slightly – _what a little hero he'd become_ – but as their eyes met she felt something slam into her back, and a painful jolt of electricity shot through her body. She tried to warn Wesley, but she wasn't sure if she'd managed to speak before losing consciousness.

He'd been so busy hiding from her that he'd missed it when she finally left for the night. Hurrying out the door, he paused for a moment before heading down the street that would take him to Faith's apartment. He was almost there when he heard noises from the alley up ahead. There was no question that it was her, but he moved cautiously, not wanting her to see him if she was just fighting a random vamp.

Peering around the corner, he saw Faith fending off about forty attackers. She seemed to be holding her own, but he doubted she'd mind a bit of help. As he stepped into the alley she swung around, fists raised, ready to fight. She stumbled slightly when she saw him, her guard dropping momentarily in confusion. She'd just started to smile when suddenly her eyes widened in pain, her body convulsing slightly before she crumpled to the ground.

He wasn't really thinking clearly as he charged them; all he knew was that Faith was hurt, and he had to help her. He managed to take down six of them before they even realized he was there, and then they were on him. Once he hit the ground everything got a little fuzzy. There was shouting and suddenly the beating stopped. Voices faded in and out as he drifted towards unconsciousness.

"…shit…Pryce…"

"…gonna have our heads…"

"…doing here…"

"…can't just leave him…"

"…you suggest…"

"…I say…load him up… deal with… later…" Then he was being lifted off the ground, and everything went black.

Where was she? She could hear the rumble of an engine and the low hum of voices in the background, but when she tried to open her eyes her eyelids felt like they'd been weighted down. She shifted slightly and realized that she was chained up. How many times was it now that she'd woken up in chains? God, she _really needed to rethink this whole Slayer thing._

At least Wes knew she was in trouble; maybe he'd call in the troops. Wasn't that his thing now, the big rescue? What had he been doing there anyway? Oh, god. What if he'd been hurt? They'd taken her down easily enough; what chance would Wes have had? Unless… unless this was _his_ idea. What if he'd called those Council guys? They were probably still all hot to punish their disobedient Slayer, right? It would sure as hell explain why he'd been there. _No!_ No, she knew he wouldn't do that. He'd saved her from those pricks once already, and that had been back when he hated her. _Yeah, and he's just full of the warm fuzzies for you these days, right Faithy?_

"Shut _up!" Great. Now she was talking to herself. Time to wake the fuck up. Her eyes snapped open, and for a moment she couldn't see anything as she adjusted to the darkness. She was in the back of some kind of truck, maybe a van. Feet were chained to the floor, but her hands, for some strange reason, were free. Well, not free, exactly; they were chained together, but they weren't tethered to anything. A smile spread across her face. Idiots._

She glanced around and saw Wesley sprawled in the corner, leaning against the side of the van. Couldn't see his hands, but his feet were tied together so at least she knew he hadn't been in on it. Stupid jerk. Why'd he always have to rush in like some kind of tough guy? Now she was gonna have to help him escape, too. She twisted around and pulled herself up onto her knees.

"Well, this is… familiar," she said with a smirk as she edged towards him. "Just couldn't wait to get me all chained up again, huh? Kinky, Wes, I like your style." No response. What was he, fucking _asleep_ over there? "Rise and shine, soldier. No time for- Oh, my god!" His face was barely recognizable, covered in cuts and bruises and already swelling all over the goddamn place. Looked like they'd worked him over real good. He looked – she closed her eyes briefly – he looked dead. She checked nervously for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt a nice steady rhythm pounding away in his wrist.

She made short work of his shirt, figured she'd better check for broken ribs or whatever other damage they might have caused. His chest and stomach looked worse than his face, if that was even possible, but nothing seemed to be broken. She needed to get him to a fucking hospital and soon; he could be bleeding internally right now, and there was nothing she could do about it. Running a gentle hand over his ribs, she wondered how he'd managed to survive such a severe beating. He shifted slightly, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Wes? Are you okay? Can you talk?" Faith asked. He just stared at her in confusion for a moment before glancing down at her hand on his chest. He looked back up at her, and she could swear he was smiling. Hard to tell with all the damage, though.

"You know, Faith," he wheezed. "There are easier ways to get me out of my clothes." She laughed in surprise. Jackass looked like he'd lost a fight with a semi, and he was cracking jokes. Impressive.

"Very funny." She dropped down to sit next to him, stretching as far as her restraints would allow. "Thought you were dead there for a minute."

"I'm sure that must have been very sad for you," he muttered. "Scared you wouldn't get the pleasure of killing me yourself?" She closed her eyes, clenching her fists to keep from popping him one.

"Fuck you."

"Have to get back to you on that one, little banged up at the moment."

"I'm serious, Wes. Shut the fuck up." She stared at her feet as an awkward silence fell. Inside she was seething. Fucking asshole. What? He thought she didn't care that he'd almost been beaten to death for trying to help her? What kind of cold hearted bitch did he think she was? _Maybe the kind of cold-hearted bitch who'd torture a man for hours, just for fun. She shook her head slightly. Stupid brain._

He watched her restrain the urge to finish the beating the others had started, and sighed in relief. Amazing. She had been worried. About _him_. He couldn't believe it, _wouldn't_ have believed it if he hadn't seen it written all over her face when he'd first woken up. Of course now she was pissed off, probably thinking of how easy it would be to kill him here in the back of this van and get away with it, but he'd done that on purpose. It was easier for him to deal with her when she hated him. That's how it was supposed to be between them, what he was used to. Angry Faith, violent, smart-ass Faith – that he could deal with. The soft concern she'd been watching him with before? Much harder to handle.

The van suddenly stopped moving, and the engine shut off. Faith shot him a startled look and quickly slid back to where she'd woken up. She motioned for him to be quiet then she closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness just as the back doors opened, and he quickly followed her lead.

"Why is she loose?" someone asked. "I distinctly remember telling you to make sure both her feet _and _hands were securely fastened to the floor of the transport vehicle. The way you have her now gives her the chance to strangle whoever goes in to retrieve her."

"Sorry, sir."

"Give her the taser again, just to be on the safe side." Faith moved then, struggling briefly in an attempt to get away from the taser. There was a sickening sizzle as they shocked her, making him flinch, making him feel useless for not having been able to stop it. And then –

"What the hell is he doing here?" Wesley's eyes snapped open. _Lilah__?_

"He was there, helping her. We didn't realize who he was until – well, we knew you wouldn't want us to just leave him there."

"Take him to the infirmary, _now!_ And you better hope they can fix him up or you're all dead."

"Yes, ma'am." As they hauled him out of the van; he tried desperately to think of something to do, some way to get out of this mess, but it was useless. The condition he was in – he wasn't even sure he'd be able to walk, much less mount an escape with Faith unconscious. Maybe once he'd healed a bit he could get them out of here. He'd just have to bide his time.

**TBC**


	4. Room With a View

**Lost Souls**

Author: kittyb90

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so damn long. Real life has been quite the little bitch lately. Hope you like it.

**Room With a View**

            He feigned unconsciousness as they hauled him out of the truck and loaded him onto a gurney. They weren't too gentle, and he couldn't hold back a grunt of pain as he curled up on his side. He risked a glance around once he rolled over and saw one of the goons that surrounded him holding Faith's unconscious body. He tried to pay attention to where they were taking him, but he really was in quite a lot of pain; he was beginning to feel a bit lightheaded.

            He must have passed out again at some point because the next thing he knew he was opening his eyes to a blindingly bright light. He tried to sit up, but hands caught at him and pushed him back down. He felt the prick of a needle as it slid into his arm and then he was floating in a sea of nothing.

She woke in darkness. For a brief, scary moment she thought she was still in jail, the last month and a half all just a fuzzy dream, but then she remembered. The attack, the van, and that fucking cattle prod thing they kept zapping her with. And Wesley. She wondered what they'd done with him. She didn't think he was in here with her – wherever the hell she was – this room felt empty and cold. No, she was alone here, no doubt about it. Alone and a little bit scared. Who were these people, and what the hell did they want with her?

She felt her way around the room, trying to find a door or a window or some way for her to get the fuck out, but there was nothing. What kind of room had no way in or out? How was that even possible? And the walls were all soft and squishy; so was the floor. What the hell? She was in a fucking padded room. Shit. Was she in some kind of fucking asylum? What the hell was going on, and where the fuck was Wes?

*          *          *          *

_Much later…___

"Don't struggle; we're trying to help you."

"I don't want your bloody help," he bit out as he continued to fight.

"Sir, please, if you'll just lie still for a moment-" The doctor broke off as Wesley's foot connected with a tray full of equipment, launching it across the room with a loud crash. "Dammit. I don't know how you people expect me to work like this. Will someone anaesthetize him, please?" There was a brief moment of silence as the doctor's attention was focused elsewhere, and then pandemonium broke out as Wesley threw a hard right, knocking one of his captors to the floor before shaking loose of the other and making a run for the door.

He made it to the hall easily enough, moving quickly through the labyrinth of corridors as he searched for a way out. Everything in this Godforsaken place looked exactly the same. Had he gone down that hallway already, or was that where he'd come from? He glanced behind him as he turned a corner, unsure of what his next move should be, and was halted by a stinging pain in his chest. He looked down to see a dart protruding from his body. When he looked up, Lilah stood before him, gun in her hand as she smiled.

"Sorry, lover." And he dropped to the floor.

She was almost asleep again – though she wasn't sure how the fuck she could sleep at a time like this – when she heard voices. They sounded like they were right outside and coming closer. She turned and pressed her ear against the wall to see if she could hear what they were saying, but before she could figure anything out, the wall in front of her lurched and fell away from her. She tumbled into a hallway, landing at the feet of three men. There was no hesitation, no thinking up a plan; she just bolted.

She had only moved about two steps away when she felt the blast of electricity hit her. Groaning in agony, she crumpled to her knees and was shoved unceremoniously back into her room. She felt a heavy weight land across her legs, and then the wall sealed shut again. She kicked whatever they'd thrown on her out of the way, and rose shakily to her knees to begin pounding on the wall.

"Open the fucking door, you bastards. Open. Up."

"It's no use," a voice whispered behind her. Letting out a shriek, she scrambled away from the sound.

"Who the fuck are you?" She heard a familiar laugh that gave way to a sudden moan of pain.

"It's me, you little idiot."

"Wes?" she cried. "Holy shit." She crawled towards him. "I thought you were probably fucking dead by now. Where the hell– Hey. Did I kick you a second ago?"

"Yes. You did. There's nothing like a blow to the chest for a broken rib on the mend. Very… bracing."

"Oh, shit. Sorry 'bout that, but you seem alright, and you're here, and-" She broke off. "Where were you anyway?" she asked, suddenly suspicious. "You're not all evil now, are you?"

"Yes, Faith," he sighed, "They injected me with evil. That's where I've been all this time; they had to make sure the transplant – the _evil_ transplant – would take."

"First of all," she fumed. "You don't have to be an ass. Second," she grabbed him by the collar, "you better fucking be kidding." She let go of him suddenly and dropped down to sit beside him. "How did your rib get broken? I checked after the fight, and everything seemed fine."

"Yes. Well. I haven't exactly been a model prisoner." She smiled briefly.

"Do you have any idea how long we've been here?"

"I was hoping you'd know; they shot me full of drugs every time I got… unmanageable. Hard to know how long I was out each time."

"I haven't seen daylight since they took us," she whispered. "Time loses a little meaning when you can't see it passing." She felt him move closer, thought his hand might have brushed her shoulder, but then he moved away again. "Why do you suppose they put you in here with me? Isn't it easier to plan an escape if we're together?"

"Yes, doesn't seem very wise, does it?" He moved again, and she heard him bite back a groan. "Unless they know that there _is_ no escape."

"So, what, we just knock on the," she gestured vaguely, "wall and tell them we give up?" She snorted in disgust. "I don't know why I expected you to be any help; shoulda known I'd have to do all the fucking work myself."

"Faith, I've gotten loose more times than I can count. It's a bloody maze out there, and everything looks exactly the same. Even if we managed to get out of this room, which would be difficult in and of itself, I can't even begin to guess what way we'd need to go to get out of the building. I'm not even sure we're in the Wolfram and Hart offices; they may have taken us to an alternate location."

"Wait." Faith interrupted. "Wait a goddamn minute."

"What?"

"Wolfram and Hart? Wolfram and fucking Hart?" Her voice rose in anger. "Are you telling me that you're _girlfriend kidnapped me? Let her goons beat you damn near to death, and then threw us in a fucking truck for God knows what reason?" She let out a harsh laugh. "You really no how to pick 'em, stud. 'Least the losers I've picked never tried to kill me."_

"A little hard for them to do as you were choking the life out of them, hmm?"

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

"You started it."

"Real mature, Wes. You're such an asshole."

"Bitch," he muttered.

"Ooh, yeah, talk dirty to me." He let out a disgusted sigh, and they fell into an angry silence. She crossed her arms, biting her lip to keep from making another comment. If he could keep his mouth shut so could she. It'd be a cold fucking day in hell before she said one more word to that prick. Bastard. She hoped he – Suddenly, he laughed. It was quiet, but she could tell it was definitely laughter. "What's so fucking funny?"

"You. Us. We've been scared and alone for who knows how long, and the first thing we do when they put us in the same room is argue like schoolchildren." He sighed. "I'm sorry." She stared into the darkness, trying to make out his expression.

"Okay, yeah. I, uh, I guess I'm sorry too." She leaned back against the wall. "But just for the record, I was _not_ scared." She crossed one ankle over the other. "I can't believe you told me you were scared. Do you even realize how much mocking you're in for? God, you're so easy." She heard him sigh.

"I was trying to make a point."

"Pansy."

"Sod off," he muttered, his foot connecting sharply with her shin, and Faith laughed out loud.

"So, do they feed you in here?"

"Yeah. Didn't figure it out until about three days in. You know how fucking hungry I was? Best goddamn meal I ever had." He looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean, figure it out?" He heard her move and suddenly she was right in front of him.

"Take my hand; I'll show you." He felt her hand move across his stomach, obviously searching. He just stood for a moment, amused as her hand drifted almost embarrassingly low. "Quit fucking around, Wes. I'm not really looking to cop a feel here; just take my damn hand." He did as she said, and she began to pull him across the room. After a moment she stopped and lifted his hand to press against something. "You feel that slight bump there in the padding?"

"Yes."

"Push it, and it opens two doors. Door on the left is a bathroom." She paused for a moment. "_Very_ handy. Door on the right is a tiny little room where food magically appears."

"Magically?"

"Well, I don't know if it's magic or not, but I've never heard or seen anyone in here. Still, food's there everyday. Barely enough to get by on, of course, but I'm not complaining." He moved away from her, feeling along the wall. "I searched the whole place; you won't find anything useful." He smiled as his fingers ran over a familiar shape embedded in the wall.

"There's a light switch here, you know."

"Yeah, it doesn't…" he saw her blink as subdued lighting flooded the room, "work." She looked over at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow. She must _really like you. You have the bestest girlfriend in the whole world." She turned away, anger crawling across her face. "I can't believe that bitch made me sit here in the fucking dark all this time. Nearly went out of my friggin' mind, but you're here two seconds, and suddenly everything works right. Nothing but the best for you, huh, big man?"_

"I hardly think being locked up in a padded room and held against my will qualifies as 'the best'."

"Whatever." She dropped back down to lean against the wall. "So, why are we here? What do they want me for?"

"I don't know."

"Did she get jealous or something?"

"Jealous?" he asked cautiously. He didn't like the look on her face.

"Yeah, you know, of us." He crossed his arms and frowned.

"There is no "us", Faith."

"Well, after the scene I caused that morning at your house and then you dogging me all around town, I figured she might be wondering what the fuck was up." She flashed him a seductive grin, and he felt himself blush slightly. "Why _were you following me, Wes? Just couldn't resist my many, many charms?"_

"I didn't follow you." He moved across the room, unable to meet her eyes, but she got to her feet quickly and moved to follow him.

"Oh, yeah? I know I saw you at the club, and then you were there in the alley. I've seen you all over the place, watching me." She had moved very close to him, and he was beginning to get nervous. What was she playing at now? "See, I think you just couldn't stand to let me get away without giving me a little test drive of your own because, deep down, you know I'm still a bad girl, and that's what you like now, isn't it, Wes?" She crowded him, backing him up against the wall, her fingers trailing up over his chest. He decided he'd had enough. He grabbed her wrist, pushing her back away from him, his expression angry.

"You think the reason I followed you was for sex?" he demanded. She smiled as she crossed her arms, and suddenly he realized what an idiot he was.

"So, you admit it. You _were_ following me."

"That's not what I m-"

"Oh, give it up. You know, it's funny; I didn't even know for sure if it was true until you just said it. Nice to know I wasn't losing my mind." She gave him an infuriating little smirk and retreated to the other side of the room. "You know she's probably been having you followed, right? I'm sure she knows all about your little stalker fetish. I swear to God, Wes, if these bastards took me because you couldn't stay your ass outta my life, I will beat you bloody."

"Yes, and that would be such a startling contrast to your usual treatment of me." She threw her hands up in frustration.

"God, it never ends with you, does it? What the fuck do you want from me, Wes?" She stalked over to stand in front of him. "Look, I know what I did to you was awful; I've admitted that. I'm not the kind of girl that says sorry real easy, you know, but I came to you, and I made my peace. I'm not expecting you to forgive me; I don't even deserve that from you, but do you really think I need to have it thrown in my face every fucking day?" She closed her eyes briefly before looking him straight in the eye. "You think I don't see the blood and the pain every time I close my fucking eyes? I don't need your fucking contempt or your mocking reminders; what I did is part of me, and I will never forget a second of it. Bringing it up all the time like that, just makes it harder for me to remember that I've changed."

She was staring at him, her emotions so raw, so close to the surface he could practically feel the pain emanating from her skin. How did she do it; how did she manage to make him feel like such a bumbling idiot with so very little effort? He wanted to reach out to her, but he knew she wouldn't look kindly on any offer of comfort from him. So he just watched her, unsure of what he should say. A burst of static broke the silence, and a voice filled the room.

"Well, I, for one, am deeply moved," Lilah said. "Is this the part where you two crazy kids kiss and make up?"

**TBC**


End file.
